Sunday, February 22, 2015

This
is the simple principle of investment and return. It is not so much that we
invest in those things we care about but rather we tend to care more about
those things in which we invest.

Case
in point: Unless you have current investments and hold stock in Sears you may
not care or even be aware of the company’s overall bottom line. However, if
your complete retirement package is invested in Sears Holdings Corp, (SHLD), I
bet you keep up with it, talk to others about it and have high hopes that it
does well. Who knows, you may even make your opinions known to those running
the corporation as to how they might do a better job. ((up 8.25% last week, 33+
to 36+) down 30% this year)

We
tend to care more about the things we invest in. Often, The more we invest the more we care. For example: A house can be
dirty and out of order for a month and no one picks up after themselves ~ but ~
let mom or dad clean it and get everything all straightened and you had better
not come in right afterwards with mud on your shoes or leave a sandwich and
coke can on the coffee table or pull your socks off and leave them on the couch
… Investments make the investor more conscious and more
caring.

It
is a Godly principle to care more about the things in which we are involved and
have invested. Perhaps this is one huge reason why:

John 3:16 God so loved the
world that He gave His only begotten Son and whoever believes in Him shall
never die but have eternal life.

God
made a huge investment in this world and in every nation, kindred, tribe and
tongue and He loves them all. It might come as a surprise to many but let me
assure you that God even loves your enemies. God’s heart follows His great
investment. (The greater the investment, the greater the love) If we care
nothing for our investment we will care nothing about the return. We see God’s
love because we see God’s investment …

Isaiah 19:25 For the LORD of
Heaven’s Armies will say, “Blessed be Egypt, my people. Blessed be Assyria, the
land I have made. Blessed be Israel, my special possession!”

Egypt,
Assyria, Israel … God loves them all? Yes! These are all nations settled by the
offspring of God’s covenant with Adam, Noah and Abraham. (Note: Assyria was
settled by Abraham’s sons by his concubines - Gen 25)

God has an investment in every nation, each tribe and every people
group … He loves them all.

Revelation 14:6 Then I saw
another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to
preach to those who dwell on the earth — to every nation, tribe,
tongue, and people —

Revelation 5

9 And they sang a new song,
saying: "You are worthy to take the scroll, And to open its seals; For You
were slain, And have redeemed us to God by Your blood Out of every tribe and
tongue and people and nation,

10 And have made us kings and
priests to our God; And we shall reign on the earth."

(Story
if needed: If you don’t like it, you just haven’t eaten enough of it…)

God
so loved the world … God loving the whole world can
only begin with God loving you. God has made a personal investment in
your life – Jesus!

Where
your treasure is there will your heart be also … when you make a personal
investment in God it will strengthen each relationship and bring you many
earthly and eternal returns. The value of everything changes when we begin to
value Jesus. Today you can make an eternal investment.

Your
personal investment in God begins with a simple surrender saying, “Not my will but Thy will O God” … The first step is
to accept God’s Son as your personal Savior … without this first step, no other
step will matter. So, Let’s make your first step a certainty right now. (Altar
Call: Salvation; (Recognize; Repent; Receive) Then: Surrender to God’s Call on
your life)

Thursday, February 19, 2015

Memory Verse:Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no
longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of
God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

Lesson:The Purpose

Pastor remarks and intro of first principle

First Principle: Love Languages

Scripture Reference:1 Corinthians 9:22b I have become all things
to all men, that I might by all means save some.

Meanings
are not in words they are in people.

Love has
many languages.

In order
to know what is meant, we must understand the language being spoken.

Some
people are concerned that their kindness might come across as interest or
flirtation … other people aren’t concerned and they should be.

Discuss these love
languages:

Words of Affirmation

Acts of Service

Gift Exchange

Quality Time

Physical Touch

Question: Which
love language(s) do you most identify with?

Conclusion: When
we interact with others we love, it is important that we speak their language
so that our love can be effectively communicated and accurately interpreted,
remembering not everyone speaks the same love language.

Pastor remarks and intro of second principle

Second Principle:Tough Love

Scripture Reference:Hebrews 12:6 For whom the LORD loves He
chastens, and scourges every son He receives.

Love
does not always say yes.

Love
obligates us to be responsibly honest.

Question: Discuss
some of the tougher obligations love may require.

Follow Up Question: Is
tough love a withholding of love or an expression of love?

Conclusion: Love
often demands we be responsibly honest, especially when we are a responsible
party. Love does not demand we always do what the other person desires. Love
can and, at times, must stand on its own ground and reach toward the highest
goal … that can be tough.

Pastor closing remarks

●Connect Cards; Offering and Prayer

●Memory Verse

●Pre-Praise & Worship Prayer will be in the Sanctuary Studio. Worship will
begin in just a few minutes.

Sunday, February 15, 2015

The
Bible is a love story. It is a book authored by God and filled with great and
tragic stories of grace, covenant and love.

·Adam
and Eve

·Isaac
and Rebekah – Genesis 24

·Jacob
and Rachael

·Rahab
and Salmon

·David
and Bathsheba

·David
and Abigail

·David
and Jonathan

·Samson
and Delilah

·King
Solomon and his Beautiful Dark Skinned Woman

·Amnon
and Tamar

·Hosea
and Gomer

·Esther
and the King

·Balaam
and his money

·Jezebel
and her control

·Absalom
and himself

·Joseph
and Mary

·Jesus
and the Church

This
morning we are going to observe love in various expressions as we follow the
life of a good woman whose name is Ruth. Before we turn to the book which bears
her name, let’s read a few verses from Ecclesiastes.

Ecclesiastes 3

1 To everything there is
a season, A time for every purpose under heaven:

8 A time to love, And a time
to hate; A time of war, And a time of peace.

11 ¶ He has made everything
beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no
one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end.

12 I know that nothing is
better for man than to rejoice, and to do good in their lives,

13 and also that every man
should eat and drink and enjoy the good of all his labor — it is
the gift of God.

Ruth’s
love for Naomi is representative of the last day’s love of the Church for the
Children of Israel. The parallel is seen in the spiritual reflections of the
natural facts surrounding this great love story and its conclusions. It is easy
to imagine Naomi as representative of the Jewish people having lost their God
and without heir; and Ruth as a reflection of the New Testament Church, having
no right to grace but yet embraced by Naomi’s Redeemer Kinsman, bringing
salvation to the whole house and plan of God. This story is an amazing
revelation of grace, covenant and love.

·Grace is
unmerited favor and ability

oUnearned

oUndeserved

·Covenant
is a binding pledge

oUnilateral Covenant
and Bilateral Covenant

oUnconditional and
Conditional Covenants

·Love is
the unselfish giving of yourself to another

oAt times the
opposite of love is hatred

oAt other times the
opposite of love is indifference

oBut most times the
opposite of love is selfishness

When
these three elements are in place, whether the aim is friendship, family
relationships or marriage – a love story is in the making.

Ruth
was a fortunate woman to have presumably known the love of a spouse in her
youth. What an adventure it must have been to have been chosen by one of the
sons of Naomi. After such a tragedy which left her a widow and without father
in law or brother in law and as yet no child after 10 years of marriage – it
must have seemed like her life was doomed. In fact those were the very words of
her mother in law: “afflicted by God”.

It
is evident from Ruth’s life that she lived an honorable life in respect to her
covenant and demonstrated an unselfish giving of herself to that covenant.

Ruth
was also fortunate to have experienced a new and renewed love later in life at
a time when others would have counted her out. The grace of her life, her
ability to make covenant and give herself unselfishly opened that door for her.
Boaz, like Christ in our lives, was her redeemer.

However,
even though Ruth experienced the grace, the covenant and the love of spousal
relationships and lived as an example to many who have met with tragic
circumstances and yet rebounded to not only survive but to also thrive in life,
she had another relationship and perhaps another purpose bigger and more powerfully
impacting than either of her two marriages. Ruth was a woman chosen by God and
used by God I believe because of her willingness and her demonstration of
grace, covenant and love.

As
I catch us up on the story which occurred during the time of the Judges,
perhaps 1150 to 1200 years BC, turn with me to the Book of Ruth, Chapter 1. We
will read there in a moment.

(The
Bible account of the grace, covenant and love of God from Ruth:)

Ruth 1

16 But Ruth said:
"Entreat me not to leave you, Or to turn back from following after
you; For wherever you go, I will go; And wherever you lodge, I will lodge; Your
people shall be my people, And your God, my God.

17 Where you die, I will die,
And there will I be buried. The LORD do so to me, and more also, If anything
but death parts you and me."

Conclusion:

·God’s
grace is sufficient for you

oboth favor and
ability to do and be whatever you need to do and be

·We have a
covenant with God

oboth unilateral and
bilateral

oboth unconditional
and conditional

·God loves
so much that He gave His Only Son for you

oThrough Jesus you
can know the grace, the covenant and the love of God.

Memory Verse:Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no
longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of
God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

Lesson:Never Failing Love

Pastor remarks and intro of first principle

First Principle: Love is and is not …

Scripture Reference:1 Corinthians 13:4 Love is patient and kind.
Love is not jealous or boastful or proud.

Question: What
are some opposites of love?

Follow up Question: How
can we recognize when we may be running short of love?

Conclusion: One
of the opposites of love can be termed, “selfish.” Selfish people are motivated
by what they can get. Love is motivated by what it can give.

Pastor remarks and intro of second principle

Second Principle:Love does and does not …

Scripture Reference:1 Corinthians 13:5-6 Love does not behave
rudely. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable (not easily
provoked), and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about
injustice but does rejoice whenever the truth wins out.

Question: What
other feelings masquerade as love?

Follow Up Question: What
is the difference between loving someone and being in love with someone?

Conclusion: Love
compels us to give ourselves to others. The greater the love, the more we give.
Being in love compels us to give everything.

Pastor remarks and intro
of third principle

Third Principle:Love never and always …

Scripture Reference: 1 Corinthians 13:7 Love never gives up, never loses faith, is
always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.

Question:Under what
circumstances could love, though well intended, be misdirected?

Conclusion: God
most often join us together with others first for what we can give to the
equation, not what we can get. Love is the most powerful force in the universe.
The love of God covers ours sins and welcomes us into an eternal relationship
with God. Our love for others is also powerful. When rightly directed our love
will fulfill us more than any other thing. When misdirected, love can cause
almost unbearable situations. God’s word clearly defines what and who we should
and should not love. God is love but love is not God.

Pastor closing remarks

●Connect Cards; Offering and Prayer

●Memory Verse

●Pre-Praise & Worship Prayer will be in the Sanctuary Studio. Worship will
begin in just a few minutes.

Saturday, February 7, 2015

35 Then one of them, a
lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, and saying,

36 "Teacher, which is
the great commandment in the law?"

37 Jesus said to him,
"’You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your
soul, and with all your mind.’

38 "This is the
first and great commandment.

39 "And the
second is like it: ’You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’

40 "On these two
commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets."

Not
only are we to love God and love our neighbors but are also told to love even
our enemies.

Matthew 5:44 "But I
say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who
hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you.

How
can we love God, our family and our friends, let alone our enemies, unless we
know what love is? What is love? This is the point where most people would
either say, “God is love”, or else they would begin quoting 1 Corinthians 13,
which is known as the love chapter in the Bible. Both of these approaches are
absolutely correct and viable answers to the question I pose. However … Today I
hope to bring some greater definition and deeper understanding concerning this
force called love.

To
assist us in our discovery of what love is we are going to be reading a passage
from the Song of Solomon. The Song of Solomon, also known as the Song of Songs,
is a relatively small and somewhat obscure book in the Old Testament. You can
find it just right of the middle of the Bible as you turn past the books of
Psalms, Proverbs and Ecclesiastes.

This
love song parallels the love affair not only between King Solomon and the
beautiful young woman found within the pages but also follows the love affair
and deepest “in love” emotions known to Christ and His Bride, the Church.
Although universally accepted by the Jewish faith, it has generally been
forbidden to be read by those under the age of 30 for concerns that youth may
not fully understand or need to embrace the emotions described by this affair.

Nonetheless,
the Song of Solomon is a great inspiration to lovers and gives cause for all of
us to take note of the true love that can exist between a man and a woman as
designed by their Creator, Almighty God. If you’ve not read this book in its
entirety as it is meant to be sung, I encourage you to get a good reading
translation and set these words to the music in your heart and mind. These
words hold mysteries of the love of Christ for His Bride.

Now
let’s begin to understand what love is from wise King Solomon’s own
experiences.

Song of Solomon 8 (The New Living Translation)

6 Place me like a seal over
your heart,

like a seal on your arm.

For love is as strong as death,

its jealousy as enduring
as the grave.

Love flashes like fire,

the brightest kind of
flame.

7 Many waters cannot quench
love,

nor can rivers drown it.

If a man tried to buy love

with all his wealth,

his offer would be utterly
scorned.

Love is …

1.Love is a seal over your heart.

a.There is no denying
the love of your heart

b.When no one else
knows, you know …

c.Love is life and
love sustains us

2.Love is like a seal on your arm.

a.True love is not
hidden from others

b.Love is the strength
of your life

3.Love is as strong as death

a.yea, even stronger

b.love endures beyond
death

c.death cannot stop or
destroy love

4.Love is enduring – as enduring as the grave

a.There is a
permanency to love

b.There is a
possessiveness to love

c.There is a jealous pride
tied to love

d.It is a steady,
constant and unchanging truth

e.We feel very
personal and very protective over love

5.Love flashes like a fire

a.This speaks of a
thunderbolt

b.All of the sudden,
love is

c.It comes from
seemingly nowhere

d.You never know when
or where it will strike

e.We fall prey and are
but victims of love’s strike

6.Love is the brightest kind of flame

a.It is the fire of
the Lord

b.1 Kings 18:38 “The fire of the Lord fell …”

c.Nothing else burns
as bright as the love we feel

7.Love is unquenchable

a.It cannot be stopped
by rain or flood

b.Adversities have no
power to water down true love

8.Love cannot be consumed

a.It can exist in the
deepest darkest dungeon

9.Love is without price

a.Love can only be
given

Perhaps
you have been selling love short or maybe you have never experienced the love
of God in your life. Jesus loves you with just such a love as we have been
discussing. There is nothing you can do to deserve or purchase His love … He
simply and completely loves you. Today you can know this love by opening your
heart to Him and allowing Him to come into your life and abide with you. Today
you can become a part of His Bride.

Not
only can you experience the love of Christ but you can also begin to love God
and others with that same kind of love. Again I encourage you to open your
heart and let the love of Christ consume you and begin loving others with that
same kind of love.

Memory Verse:Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no
longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of
God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

Lesson:Three Attributes of Love

Pastor remarks and intro of first principle

First Principle: Love Covers

Scripture Reference:1 Peter 4:8 And above all things have fervent
love for one another, for “love will cover a multitude of sins.”

Love does not always
discern between what is good or bad … love covers both.

Love covers sin.

Love can cause blindness
(Judges 16:4 – Samson loved Delilah).

Question: What
kind of people need love?

Follow up Question: Is
love the measure of the person loved or the person who is loving?

Conclusion: Love
is the measure of God in a person. Just as God’s love covers our sin, our love
for others covers their faults and makes them more presentable and acceptable
to us. Love can cause a person to be blind to things that have potential to
hurt them and cause them pain. However, Godly love continues to cover and endures.

Application:
Strive to love others with a Godly kind of love.

Pastor remarks and intro of second principle

Second Principle:Love Multiplies

Scripture Reference:1 John 3:1 Behold what manner of love the
Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of
God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know
Him.

Love has a duplicative
capacity.

God loves each one of His
children equally, without regard as to their stage or station of life.

Question: How
can a parent love a second child as much as they love the first?

Follow Up Question: How
is it possible to love more than one thing or person equally?

Conclusion: The
love God has given us is found expressed in three types: brotherly love; the
love between a husband and a wife; and Godly love. Godly love, we call agape.
This is the love that never fails, never gives up, and never runs out. This
true love from the heart has the capacity to multiply.

Application:
Remember that God loves you as much as He loves Jesus.

Pastor remarks and intro
of third principle

Third Principle:Love Changes

Scripture Reference: 1 Thessalonians 3:12 And may the Lord make you increase and
abound in love to one another and to all, just as we do to you.

Love changes in intensity
and type.

Love can increase and
abound.

Love can decrease and
diminish (wax cold, Matthew 24:12).

Question:Describe how
love can change in type and intensity.

Follow Up Question: What
investments can we make to help love grow and abound?

Conclusion: Love
is often the fruit of our investments. Selfish people only invest in their own
interests and therefore tend to love themselves more than others. When we begin
to pray for, serve, and invest our resources in helping others, our love for
them will begin to grow.

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Description of Color Code

You may notice that Pastor Ron Hammonds' notes contain colors of red, blue and green. These are color cues for the Studio 220 production department at Church on the Rock- Redis a code to place the notation on the overhead screens- Blueis for a lower-third graphic for ourChurch Onlinecongregation, and- Greenis a note that he wants to appear on screen but may not say it aloud.